1. I feel in the US military, combat arms will eventually be opened to women. I HOPE however when it is done, standards are not lowered to just allow them in, as it was in other fields. (gee it's too hard for the women to make the grade so we'll lower the bar.. therefore allowing substandard performers in). That being said, if they can make the grade, great.
2. I have served with many females, and was married to a female MP for many years. Just like amoung males there were good ones and bad ones. Could they perform in combat? The MP is nothing but underarmed infantry! There was a silver star awarded to a Kentucky NG female staff sergeant(maybe only a sergeant) for busting an ambush in Iraq. Aggressiveness is NOT an issue that I've noted. It is more a physical problem, and then there is the female hygiene issue that always arises. Many, many females goes down when there monthly cycle comes around. Not all but I'd say the percentages are more than ten percent. Yes they are short lived, but still an issue IMO. Also in current military units where the female is a volunteer and not in any type of combat unit, with pregnancy deterents readily available, there is still a high percentage of 'undeployable' women in said units due to pregnancy, whether wanted or unwanted by conception. It's a command nightmare.
3. I think in the Twilight war in Europe and other overseas theaters you will find females in combat units, but those will be units thrown toegether, and the females will be 'volunteers' where as the male replacement next to her might be 'volunteered' for the combat duty. I do NOT think there will be a recruiting of females for combat arms even then. The 'soldierette' will be utilized to release able bodied males for combat duty, as they have since their inception. The gals call it 'male chauvenism', I call it the midset of survival of the species. However I do see more females in combat support units such as MP, as I feel many of the post TDM units formed in the US will in reality be MP type units rather than infantry perse. Of course HOW they are used will be as infantry, but it's a way around the regulations as I see it.
4. I was under the impression that the IDF women, while trained for combat, were actually used to fill support/combat support roles to release males for combat. They are very concerned in that country about their women, and survival of the species as well.
5. Jester.. every Marine is a rifleman first, hence the BAM is a rifleman/person first right
